Harley Benton offers new pickup options with all-new sub-$300 JJ and JP basses

Arguably the most productive affordable guitar gear brand in the biz – launching everything from punk-flavored MR series six-strings to four new ukuleles in 2022 alone – Harley Benton has revealed its latest offering: all-new JJ and JP bass guitars.

Both available in four- and five-string configurations, the JJ and JP combine traditional elements of bass guitar construction with a host of modern appointments, including bolt-on roasted maple necks and fingerboards with satin finishes, promising a “smooth and effortless” feel.

Named for their pickup configurations, the JJ bass features a pair of Harley Benton-designed Alnico-5 JB pickups with active boost circuitry, while the JP sports Alnico-5 PJ pickups, with a split pickup in the neck position. 

Controls on both models include master volume and tone pots, and a blend/balance knob which allows bassists to mix the sound of each pickup to taste.

Other features present on both JJ and JP bass guitars include a Chinese ash body, 864mm scale length and 24 frets, and a two-way truss rod with adjustment wheel.

“Whether it's good old rock 'n' roll or pop, funk or reggae, blues or country, metal or prog, these basses can cover it all with their wide tonal palette,” Harley Benton says.

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Both the JJ and JP – in both four- and five-string configurations – come in four colorways: Natural, White, Blue and Sunburst.

Price-wise, the four- and five-string JJ models retail at $216 and $237, respectively, while the four- and five-string JP basses are tagged at $237 and $270, respectively. For more information, head to Harley Benton.